Category: Single Of The Week

Single Of The Week: You Got Me (Drum & Bass Mix) by The Roots with Jill Scott

The Roots were far ahead of their time. When they first came out onto the scene, mainstream hip hop was very sample driven. Live hip hop was practically unheard of, and generally relegated to 15 minute sets at radio festivals, performed to a backing track. The Roots, however, are a band, and live musicians making hip hop in front of you didn’t really become the norm for another decade and a half after the release of their groundbreaking record Things Fall Apart.

To honor the 20th Anniversary of this record, The Roots are reissuing the album with a bunch of bonus material from the era, including the original mix of “You Got Me,” their first significant single. The “hit” version featured Erykah Badu, but the song was written with Jill Scott, and really was the heart and soul of the record. Finally, after 20 years, this is the way this song was intended on being heard. There is a TON of other hidden treasures on this release, and the vinyl can be found in stores today, or can be purchased online. It’s also available in all the usual streaming sources.

Also coming out next year will be deluxe reissues of classic Roots records Illadelph Halflife and Do You Want More?!!!??!. Two other groundbreaking hip hop classics that deserve your attention.

Single Of The Week: When I Wasn’t Watching by Mandy Moore

September 2019 may go down as one of the greatest “comeback” months in pop music history. After both Missy Elliot and Tool both released their first records in a decade and a half, out of nowhere comes a brand new single from Mandy Moore. This is her first true single since her ex husband, Ryan Adams, basically manipulated her into quitting music.

And what did she come back with? A stunning, potent song that seems to directly confront Adams’ abuse. It’s also backed by some vibrant electric piano, and some classic Laurel Canyon production that’s “soft rock” but hardly soft at all. Mandy Moore’s comeback single shows signs that she could easily join the league of great LA songwriters like Jenny Lewis and Carole King.

Word on the street is Moore will have a full length out next year. If it’s on par with this track, it’s going to be great.

Single of the Week: Stuff by Sløtface

This week’s single of the week comes from Sweden’s Sløtface. Their latest single, “Stuff,” is a subtle departure from their previous releases, adding some thick, fuzzy bass to the mix. It’s a great pop single, and something nice for the end of Summer blues.

Stuff can be streamed in all the usual places. More new music should be coming soon!

Single Of The Week: What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? (Remix) by R.E.M.

Monster changed my life. It came out right in the middle of high school, and it opened my ears and eyes to exactly what music could sound like. The thick, fuzzy guitar styling of Peter Buck opened me up to so much music that I never thought I’d listen to before, giving me bands like Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, and, weirdly Motorhead. It’s also the REM record you are most likely to find in the dollar bin at a used CD store. Continue reading “Single Of The Week: What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? (Remix) by R.E.M.”

Single Of The Week: Cuts by Wing Defence

Adelaide, South Australia gives us this week’s single of the week, a hyper catchy pop song from Wing Defence. A song so catchy and joyful that it’s easy to miss that there are three different tempo changes in two and a half minutes. We are still waiting for Wing Defence to make their way across the pond to join Courtney Barnett, Tame Impala, Camp Cope, Alex Lahey, and all of the other amazing Australian acts to take over the US in the last few years.

Until they make it over here, you can buy the new single and all of their other singles at Bandcamp! 

Single Of The Week: Throw It Back by Missy Elliott

The last full length release from Missy Elliott was The Cookbook which came out July 4th, 2005. This was 14 years ago. She would occasionally put out a single or do a live show in this time, but she’s been pretty much quiet. It’s been a sad period without one of the most inventive musicians of the 21st century.

That was until midnight this morning, when she quietly released into the world Iconology, an EP of new material that’s classic Missy Elliott- frantic beats under trippy synths and her spitfire delivery that’s practically inimitable. The lead single, “Throw It Back” is catchy as hell, complete with a perfect Missy video, full of memorable moments that would be nightmarish if they weren’t so happy. This is a classic track that’s going to be part of our lives for a long time to come.

Iconology is available for streaming and downloads TODAY in all the usual places.

Single Of The Week: Ruthless by The Marias

Since we are still coming off the buzz from Outside Lands last weekend, this week’s Single Of The Week comes from The Marias, possibly the best set we caught while we were in the park. This is the latest single to drop off their 2018 release, Superclean Vol II.

“Ruthless” is a groovy, sexy song that falls somewhere between the pop hooks of The Cardigans and the lounge psychedelia of Stereolab. It’s the perfect song to help chill through the current heat wave that’s melting everything in sight.

Superclean Vol II is available now at all the usual places.

Single Of The Week: Literary Hoax by Bam! Bam!

For this week’s Single Of The Week, I decided to remind you that Tool have finally put their back catalog on streaming services. You may ask why I mentioned this… Well, the answer is SEO reasons. Because my favorite Bay Area band has new material out TODAY! And they are called Bam!Bam!, which is definitely something you can do with a tool. Usually a hammer.

Oakland’s Bam! Bam! have been putting out great punk singles for years. They’ve put out so many excellent 7″‘s that I find it hard to believe they have yet to release a full length record. Well, today changes that, as their debut record, Nails, was released TODAY and can be enjoyed here. The single off this record is “Literary Hoax,” an infectious earworm of a track. The accompanying video may not be entirely suitable for work, is an excellent piece of filmmaking that provides an uncomfortable visual to such an upbeat piece of music.

Enjoy Nails as your soundtrack to the first weekend of the last month of Summer!

Single Of The Week: Dead Mall by PARENTZ

This week’s single of the week comes from Oakland based duo Parentz. This song feels like a groovy, chillwave-inspired bit of modern R&B. The lyrics, however, run from full on hysterical to a deep analysis of the current state of the economy. The song is also hooky as hell, and is the perfect soundtrack for spending time with abandon storefronts.

Dead Mall can be streamed in all the usual places! Including right after the jump!

Single Of The Week: Gone by Charli XCX & Christine and The Queens

This year has shaped up to be one of the strongest years on record for pop music, with brilliant records coming out from the likes of Lizzo, Billie Eilish, and Carly Rae Jepsen to name a few. The singles that have drifted out from Charli XCX’s upcoming Charli have showed that pop music is going to keep getting better as the year goes on. This track is propulsive and intense, and is destined to be a classic. It will help make both Charli XCX and Christine & The Queens the household names they deserve to be.

Charli is due out September 13th and can be preordered here. She’s also hitting the road soon, and tickets & tour dates can be found here. Christine & The Queens put on an amazing live show themselves, and if you make your way to Europe, you can catch the tale end of their tour.